


Change of life

by DragonDagger



Category: Appleseed
Genre: Gen, Hacking, Nano Machines, Post-Ex Machina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-01
Updated: 2008-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-08 01:49:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1922181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonDagger/pseuds/DragonDagger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Briareos, Deunan, and Tereus find themselves embroiled in a race against the clock when they get involved in the return of a squad six team member.  Briareos is once again at risk, but is he the target or the puppet?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Appleseed or the background story which takes place mostly in Appleseed Ex Machina. The OC's of the story and the story itself are mine.

Talina entered the gym slowly.  It wasn't that she wasn't certain of her footing, no, she was very confidant of that.  She was just not certain of her welcome any more.  It had been well over six months since anyone in ES.W.A.T. had last seen her.  At that time she was fully human and part of the security crack team, now she was more cyborg than human and while she had been reassured by the captain that her assignment hadn't been changed she was still uncertain of her welcome back to her squad.  
  
The first person to notice her return had been Deunan.  She had been standing to the back, spotting her partner while he had been sparring with some of the others of their squad, keeping their combat readiness up to snuff when she noticed the door opening.  "Talina!  Welcome back."  There was mild concern in her green eyes for the other ES.W.A.T. member, but as they weren't on the same tactical squad there wasn't much she could ask right out without coming off as nosy.  There was however no doubting the warmth in the welcome and the fact that it was genuine.  
  
Talina froze at the welcome as it halted the sparring and the other activities of the room.  There was no getting around it now.  They would all see what had happened to her now.  "Hi Deunan, its good to be back, I guess."  Her posture closed up a little as her uneasiness with her new situation came to the fore.  Fortunately most of the squads knew what had happened and sympathized with the software analyst.  To be left with your back open in combat was something none of them ever wanted to happen to them so they all wanted to make her return easy on her.  
  
"Well don't just stand there Cracker, get in here."  One of her team mates smiled calling her by her nick name.  Deunan smiled noting that the woman's team was going to do everything they could to make her reintegration as easy as possible.  
  
"So, which beach did you go to for sun and waves this time Cracker?"  Another team mate asked, a playful smirk letting her know that he was teasing.  
  
This finally got a smile from the nervous woman and she finally started talking.  "Thanks for the welcome back guys.  Let me give you this bit of advice.  Don't get shot up like that if at all possible.  Getting most of your major organs perforated with out anesthesia is not my idea of a good time."  
  
Those that had gathered around her to reinforce her welcome back to the teams chuckled at her attempt at a joke at her own expense.  Deunan, Briarios and Tereus all looked at each other and knew that she was going to need some major support before she'd be ready to go back out into the field.  Fortunately it looked like her team was ready to handle that detail.  The only question left was who was going to take the place of her partner.  It wasn't like the results of that mission was a quiet bit of work with the way news spreads around the ES.W.A.T. headquarters.  
  
They walked away to do a bit of light sparring to cool down before heading to the lockers.  When they came out they found Talina waiting for them.  "Can I talk to the three of you sometime?  I have some questions and you guys may be able to help me answer them."  
  
Tereus and Briarios both looked at Deunan and when she smiled and nodded they all knew what she was thinking even as she said it.  "Why not now?  We're just headed out to  have a couple beers and relax a little."  
  
Talina looked uncertain but she was determined to get these questions answered and agreed.  "Alright.  Let me get my jacket, its a little cool this evening."  
  
As Talina ran down the hall to her office to get her jacket Deunan looked at her friends and partner.  "Is it just me or is she nervous about something?"  
  
It was Briarios that answered, "I didn't see the medical report on the incident that she was caught in, but I think that she wasn't just sewn back together.  She may be part or mostly cyborg now and is uncertain as to how her team mates will handle it since they knew her as human before."  
  
"That could be it, but I think we should let her talk on her own.  She's nervous enough as it is, I'll push her if she hits a wall."  Deunan answered and the other two nodded in agreement.  Ever since the Halcon incident just over a year ago, she had been bouncing back and forth between Briarios and Tereus as partners for various missions.  
  
Talina got back to them and they all left for the promise of alcohol and good conversation while not working.  The software analyst had been right, it was a little cool that evening and all were glad they had been wearing their jackets for that fall evening.  Talina decided to let the members of squad two lead the way and soon found herself in a small pub just off the main shopping district.  It was the beginning of the week so it wasn't overly busy and they picked a booth to themselves and ordered a round of drinks and some light snacks to get them started before any real conversation started.  
  
Once the drinks and the food arrived they all looked around and sipped for a moment before letting Tereus start.  "What can we try and help you with?"  He was still very blunt with most things, he still knew that some situations called for a delicate touch, and could on occasions call forth a softer touch than his normally hard-assed demeanor.  
  
It was all the question that Talina needed to help her get past her speech block.  "You all know what happened just over six months ago when I was on that assignment that got me shot up right?"  Briarios and Deunan were across from her and Tereus was sitting next to her in the booth but as she looked around she saw them all nod so she continued.  "Well there were only two possible conclusions to that situation.  I would either survive the operating table and I'd come back seriously scarred but in one piece, or I would "die" and have to basically indenture myself to ES.W.A.T. to afford the necessary robotics to go cyborg.  I was fortunate enough that I had signed the necessary paperwork when I had joined the squad that I would allow such a thing to happen, or ES.W.A.T. would be short a software analyst right now."  
  
The reason for her needing to talk to them was starting to come clear, but they were not going to assume anything just yet so Briarios asked.  "Are you worried about how your squad will take your change?"  He more than the others knew what it was to fear that change and fear the reactions he would get for it.  
  
Talina shook her head with a quizzical look on her face.  "It's not that, well not exactly that.  I'm stronger now, I don't know how much stronger, and mentally I've changed a lot, I used to be a bit of a mouse I guess.  I would let my skills speak for me, if I needed something it always waited till it was a critical need, or I'd just put myself last.  How I see myself has changed.  I can't exactly say if its a good view or not.  I haven't had enough interaction with others to help me forge that viewpoint yet."  
  
"Wait, you let how others see you tell you how you see yourself?"  Deunan spoke up, not liking the picture that was starting to present itself.  
  
"Kinda, see my body type has changed, how I do things has had to change as a result.  I had to relearn how to walk, swim, everything that you take for granted as a woman I had to relearn how to do because I went from a female body type to a female/cyborg body type which is a little closer to a very fit male body type.  Built like a brick.  at first I wasn't sure how I was going to do it.  I mean how did men cope with it?"  
  
"Honey, I hate to tell you this, but from puberty on, men are bricks, mind and body."  Deunan said with a sardonic tone that made Talina laugh and both men cry out in objection.  
  
"Good point."  Talina looked at Tereus and Briarios in apology, laughter still in her eyes.  Mood considerably lightened she continued.  "It's not easy to have a good self image of yourself when you don't know what image you're supposed to have of yourself."  
  
They all quieted down for a moment after that comment thinking, reflecting, drinking, or eating.  Talina suddenly remembered, "Hey!  I've heard around the gym that you're undefeated in the sparring ring, is that right Briarios?"  
  
"Well, yeah.  What about it?"  Not knowing where she was going with this he was genuinely curious.  
  
"Well, I'm black fringe first stripe ranked in Tai Chi Chuan, my grand master has told me that with my new body, I am not allowed back into the dojo until I've learned the limitations of the body and learned to harness it.  If I were to go into a no holds barred, weaponless sparring session with you I would find those limits and from there I would begin to learn to harness this new body."  The shame she felt in not being allowed back into her dojo was easily seen in her face and the others knew that this was something very important to her.  The fact that she added weaponless as a condition to the sparring meant that she normally practiced with one or more weapons.  
  
"Why me?"  Briarios asked focused now more on why she was asking him in particular, and now Deunan, who was closer to the woman's size, or Tereus, who seemed less threatening.  
  
"Because if I were to go full power and in an uncontrolled punch, kick or redirect disrupt something in your system, you are the most likely candidate to walk away from it.  My training would force me to go for openings and weak points.  Part cyborgs I'd go for the human points, Humans I'd hurt and I don't want to and same for bioroids.  You guys are good, but I just don't know this body well enough yet.  You would have the strength, speed and control to keep me from hurting you while I would keep from hurting myself while we tested the limitations of this body.  I want Deunan and Tereus to be there just in case the unexpected happens."  Serious dark brown eyes closed as Talina bowed her head waiting for the answer.  
  
Tereus, Deunan and Briarios all looked at each other in a silent conference.  Basically it was all Briarios's decision, but if the other two didn't want him to do it because they weren't certain as to what this new cyborg could do then he'd follow their lead.  Oddly enough, it was Deunan that nodded.  Cocking her head towards the tense woman, they suddenly understood that this would be their way of showing their support for her, and subtly boosting her self image.  
  
"Alright, we'll do it.  But not tonight.  How about this weekend barring any of us getting an assignment?"  Briarios offered.  Pleased when those dark eyes opened hopeful and smiling.  
  
"That works for me.  Have your pressure sensors on line, I will want to take the data from the sparring with me, I'll have mine on line as well so you can have your data as well.  I might want to make the sparring a regular occurrence till I can tone things down to sparring with Tereus.  If I can manage that I'm sure I'll be let back out on the field.  Till then I'm kinda station bound to keep me out of potential combat situations."  
  
As they all stood up to pay their bills they all smiled, it looked like Talina was going to be OK as she was starting to open up, but how much was going to depend on how much she trusted her squad, and that would require watching from the captain.  
  
Later that evening Deunan lay curled up with Briarios "Briarios, do you think she'll be OK?"  
  
"She's a tough girl in her mind.  That mentality took a beating when she had to swap bodies.  It also sounds like they didn't do a very good job of doing a body match when they set her up with her cyber prosthetic.  They may have been thinking about her job at ES.W.A.T. but they didn't do a very good job thinking about her self esteem when they did that.  Not all of those squad members are soldiers.  In the long run I think she'll be OK, if she got one of the newer body types that I've been reading up on, then there is a certain amount of mutability to the body and eventually she will have a more feminine form.  But that will take a lot of time.  For now I think she needs to worry more about getting back out into the field and that is what these sparring matches are going to do for her."  
  
Both in agreement they went to sleep and put the situation from their minds as they were called to duty for a situation overseas the next day.


	2. 2

When Squad 2 came back from the London assignment they found that squad six was checking them in.  Instead of Yoshitsune at the terminal for the cyber scan for the now mandatory post assignment inspections it was Talina.  Deunan smiled at her and got a shy smile back as she started the scan.  "Briarios"  She started in a very soft voice.  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's something up with your nanites.  They aren't dormant any longer.  Pull yourself off to the side, and wait here till the check in is complete.  I'll clear you and then we'll help you get to the bottom of this."  Her voice was barely a whisper, but she had to take her voice that low, knowing that just about any other volume would be heard by any of the other cyborgs in the room.  In a normal tone she spoke up.  "You're clear sir, move over."  
  
As they finished the check in routine she had paged Yoshitsune and together all five of them, Yoshitsune, Talina, Briarios, Deunan, and Tereus went back to Yoshitsune's lab to figure out what was going on in their friend.  "I need to get one of the nanites to get a sample of its program to see what it thinks its doing running around in your head."  The reassuring smile that she gave was reassuring indeed as her tone of voice was one of experience and complete professionalism.  
  
Using the scanners and pulling one of the removable panels off, she inserted a grabber and nabbed at least three of the nanites for her use before replacing the plate.  "Just in case they decide to be difficult."  Was her explanation.  
  
With Yoshitsune's help she got them hooked into a stand alone computer system and downloaded the program payload.  Scanning through it it didn't look like much until the software analyst looked for the footprints that she knew.  They started leading to the other nanites, quickly she downloaded their program payloads into the computer and with the three of them she had enough of the program to be able to tell what it would do to the cyborg.  "The nanites are active but not harmful to you Briarios.  They're waiting for you to hook up to a terminal so they can get out and infect a host terminal.  And this bug's both nasty and purposeful.  I wonder...."  She trailed off as she started typing at a rapid pace, the clicking of the keyboard making a strange racket in the room.  
  
"Ne, Yoshitsune, what's with the clicking?"  Deunan asked.  
  
"Oh, that's the only way we've been able to get her to type without destroying the keyboard from putting too much pressure on the keys with her new body.  The click lets her know that she's pushed down far enough to enter the data and to release the key.  All the keyboards have been changed over, in fact its noisier, but its saved on a lot of wear and tear on the keyboards, not just from her."  The explanation came, enlightening the squad members, and giving them all a chuckle as they all knew some squad members that didn't like typing up reports so they did it with more pressure than was necessary.  
  
"Now that I know that this isn't going to hurt Briarios or anyone else as long as he stays away from terminals, he can leave if he wants.  This is going to take me about a day.  But come in tomorrow afternoon and I'll have a cure for it, though be warned, you'll be flushing "dead" nanites out your ports for a couple days after.  The good part is you won't ever have to worry about ever getting infected or controlled via them again."  Talina's voice sounded like she wasn't all there.   
  
Yoshitsune smiled indulgently.  He had been witness to her marathon programming sessions before and wasn't about to interrupt her this time with a question knowing that this time it would help a friend.  If she said it would work a certain way, it would do just that.  "You can trust her on that.  Go home, or to the gym, I'm sure you guys had enough stress today."  
  
Deunan and Briarios decided to leave, but Tereus found what Talina was doing fascinating.  It was so different from what he was designed to do.  Sitting behind her, not so close as to intrude on her personal space, but close enough to be able to read what was on the screen.  All he could see was lines and lines of code scrolling up as a phenomenal pace sometimes pausing to have a line edited, or completely deleted, sometimes to have a line or six entered in.  Yet from what he could read he could not make heads or tails of what she was doing.  This was Greek to him.  
  
"I know that you're there behind me, what I'm doing is I'm reprogramming these three nanites to 'infect' the rest of the nanites in Briarios with a self destruct code.  Its not harmful and they won't "explode", its a shut down and don't ever turn back on again code.  With them being dead waste in his system like that, his body will reject them, and flush them like they are just that.  Previously they were in a "sleep" mode, which allowed them to stay in his system.  I don't like the idea of foreign objects that can be used to take over someone, so I'm taking care of the problem."  Talina wasn't speaking completely clearly, instead muttered most of her speech while she focused wholly on her work letting the pages and pages of programming flash by as she worked on them her hands and fingers working more than her mouth during her dissertation on what the program was going to do.  
  
"I see."  Tereus kept his tone quiet in respect for her concentration.  Anyone who was willing to put that much effort into keeping his partners safe had his respect.  The fact that she was one of the best software analysts on the force, even before she had left on her medical leave of absence had his attention now that she was working with them on this new development in their lives.  
  
Soon the pages of old programming stopped coming and he soon got to see just how fast she could create new programming off the top of her head as lines of the new programming came into being.  She was typing as fast as he could come up with combat combinations, and considering that he was created for combat, that was pretty darned fast.  Yoshitsune chuckled softly in the background at the look of amazement on Tereus's face as he watched her program.  "She's going to ignore the both of us all night and well into the next morning unless she needs something.  I'd recommend you go get some rest."  
  
"You mean she's done this before?"  Tereus was amazed at the implication that the woman had done this as a human.  
  
"Yup.  Her last marathon was a 48 hour stretch to patch the ES.W.A.T. cyborg anti-virus so that they wouldn't be affected by the Halcon system.  She came out with the patch days before the company that provides our network security did.  When she belts down to do something she tends to ignore everything, including her own needs.  The best thing to do is catch her now as she's sinking into her work and get it now so she has it at the ready."  Yoshitsune explained, remembering what the woman looked like coming out of the lab with the disk that they needed to patch the software.  He had played the gentleman and made sure that she had gotten to the showers on the gym level and then to one of the spare cots so that she could sleep off her exhaustion in safety.  There was no way she was going to be able to get home in her condition.  
  
"I'll do it then.  She's going out of her way to help my partners, I might as well do what I can to help them." Tereus replied.  "Talina, you need anything?"    
  
"A Caffeine IV Drip?"  Came the muttered reply, fingers still flashing over the keyboard.  
  
Tereus looked over at Yoshitsune for a translation.  "Steady stream of Mocchachinos.  About one every two hours, liter bottles of water as well to go with them.  She'll go through them about that fast, and if you think she can't hold all that?  Think again, she's got scary bladder control."  
  
"Will you two stop talking about my bladder and just get my damn coffee?"  The voice at the computer spoke up, clearly this time and clearly irritated.  
  
Tereus held his hands up in surrender with a smile, "Going!"  And with an about face left to get said water and Mocchachino and leave and order with the merchant to have one of each brought to the room every 2 hours and a sandwich brought every 5 hours to be credited to his account.  
  



	3. 3

By the next afternoon the garbage bins of the room were full of empty one liter bottles, moccachino cups and sandwich wrappings.  At the keyboard looking like she hadn't moved since the afternoon before was Talina rescanning her code and putting the final polish on it.  With a yawn she hit the system control print and enter keys and watched as they all downloaded their code parts into the three tiny nanites that waited quietly for their programming.  Tereus had regaled the others of his interaction with the software analyst and they too had a laugh at his expense.  Now they were all back in the lab hoping that Talina's programming would work as promised.  
  
"Bleh, been a while since I last pulled an all nighter, need to get back into the habit."  Talina muttered to herself as she pulled the small syringe of nanites to her as she crossed the floor to Briarios.  "Good afternoon.  I'm done programming these little buggers and as I said yesterday, the only side effect you should have is that you'll be flushing the dead nanites from your export ports for the next couple of days while these three infect the other nanites with the "death" code.  If its not a nanite of this batch, its safe.  So your system maintenance machines are safe from the bugs I'm about to put into your system.  Once the sweep is done, these will self destruct and flush.  Any questions?"  
  
"What if there are side effects?"  Deunan asked, worried for her partner.  
  
"Then you come right back to me and I run a diagnostic."  Was the immediate reply,  "But the way I programmed this there should be no side effects, ever.  Though you might want to come back for a security patch when you have time.  Your internal systems should have noticed that the nanites were active long before I did.  The fact that they didn't even though you knew you had them in you means something is going on and I'd like to make sure that you and every other cyborg in this place doesn't have a gaping hole in their self security programs."  
  
"Why not come back to Yoshi?"  Briarios asked carefully.  
  
"Yoshi's good, but he didn't write the original program, nor did he see it, he also didn't write the secondary program and he hasn't seen it either so he wouldn't know what to look for in the first place.  He'd just be dragging my ass back down here to tell him.  It's just faster to grab me.  Grab him if you want him here too, but trust me, you'll want the person who wrote the damn program here."  Irritation crossed her face as her professional judgment was questioned and Yoshitsune did what he could to break the rising tension.  
  
"She's right.  I have my strengths and she has hers.  She's been in here for nearly 24 hours programming this anti-bug and I haven't really taken a look at any of the work she's done on it.  Professional courtesy and all that.  She doesn't get nosy with my work either.  I just helped her at the beginning like you guys saw.  Now we can all just chill out and get this taken care of so Briarios can be bug free in a couple of days or we can continue to drag this out with questions."  Yoshitsune's calm stare made them all rethink their treatment of the software analyst and agree that they had been a little jittery around her.  
  
"Go ahead.  You remember which panel?"  
  
"Yeah, don't worry, I have a backup copy of everyone's security software on the computers here so I'll be able to take a look at it while I'm off duty and see if there isn't something I can do to tune it up a little while this is all going on.  Oh yeah.  I've also sent a report to the captain.  The only reason you haven't been pulled off duty yet is because the fix has already been implemented.  He's giving you 72 hours after this goes into your system to show a significant drop in nanites in your system before he does anything like pulling you off the roster."  With that she pressed the trigger and launched the three nanites into his system.  
  
"Thanks."  Deunan put the plate back into place as she nodded to Talina.  
  
"No problem.  I was out of the country on assignment when Briarios went berserk the first time because of the nanites.  I can well imagine how jittery they make all of you.  I'm just surprised that they didn't try to flush them when they went dormant the first time to prevent reawakening.  Oh well, we got the problem fixed this time."  Talina noticed that all four of the others stiffened as she spoke of the tense time when their friend had been thought to have been lost to them.  
  
"Now Briarios, you will still need to stay away from the terminals for the next three days or so.  At least till I give the all clear OK?  The bugs I put in your system don't give a system wide deactivation code, but instead are on a seek and destroy mission.  This means that any of the bugs that are still active with the old code will still have the potential to infect terminals.  If you need to access a terminal, you may have to wait or have Deunan do it for you as she is your acknowledged point man."  Looking at the cyborg who would soon be her sparring partner she hoped that this would work.  Three days would put them right at the weekend, hopefully her little counter-bugs would have done their job by then.  
  
"We'll be back Saturday morning then.  If Briarios checks out alright then we can move on to your sparring session, if not then you'll have all weekend to work on a solution."  Tereus looked at the others for confirmation that this schedule was OK and when everyone nodded he looked over at the very weary looking Talina.  "Why don't you go home and get some sleep.  
  
"Scratch that, I'll just hit the showers here and then crash out on one of the cots for a few hours before I go home.  I'm a bit of a danger to myself and others on the road if I try and drive after a programming session."  
  
Tereus raised an eyebrow at this and countered, "How about I drive you home, Deunan and Briarios can follow and bring me back to the station that way you aren't without your vehicle, and you get uninterrupted rest in a better bed than one of the cots here."  
  
Talina raised an eyebrow and smiled through her exhaustion.  "Twist my arm why don't you?  Alright, you win.  Lets go before I fall asleep here in the lab on my feet."  
  
With that they all trooped out to her car before splitting up.  As Tereus and Talina got into her car Tereus looked over at her.  "I wish to say thank you.  The Halcon incident bonded my partners and I much closer than most partners will ever be.  The fact that you're willing to look out for them as well makes me feel that they are in good hands should something ever happen to any of us."  
  
All Talina did was nod, not much penetrated her sleep fogged mind other than the fact that the man was telling her thank you.  She was too busy shutting down into the crash and burn mode she always entered after one of her marathon sessions, though this one was a little more serious than most as she hadn't been in practice in over six months.  She vaguely recognized getting home and being lead into the house as well as into her room and being tucked in.  She heard swish of the doors closing and remembered no more.  
  
When Talina woke up again the next morning she found herself feeling wonderfully rested and a note on the bedside table.  -Talina, Just a reminder that we brought you home so you wouldn't have to crash at the station after your programming session.  Call Deunan when you are up so we know that you got this.  Tereus-  
  
The note brought back the hazy memories of being taken home, of being thanked and of being tucked in.  Sniffing delicately she wrinkled her nose and spoke to the empty room.  "First order of business is a shower cause vid call or not, smelling funky is not the way to go."  
  
An hour later looking and, in her opinion, smelling better, she proceeded with the call.  "Deunan?  This is Talina, Tereus told me that I was to call you when I got up today."  
  
"Yeah, we wanted to make sure you were OK after that marathon session you pulled helping Briarios out."  
  
"I'm fine, better than fine for having had more than eight hours uninterrupted rest.  Thank you."  Talina was wandering around her small house now putting the final touches on for going into the station making sure she had her gloves on, combat fatigues sleeves down, choker with breakaway chain, tags, and hat.  She was ready to go.  "I'm headed out the door Deunan, I'll see you at the station."  
  
As a matter of fact she didn't see Deunan, or Briarios, or Tereus all that day.  Squad two got called out on an emergency again, and while squad six complained about them being glory hogs, they did have to admit that there was some specialization in the teams, and Six just wasn't at full strength without its top software analyst.  Squad two was good for brute force and most rescue missions.  Those that required negotiation or delicacy of touch were left to the other squads, but events like the cathedral mission just before the Halcon incident were right up Two's alley.  Anything that required more than a bomb to get in and that was a job for one of the other teams.  If you needed to fool multiple security systems while disarming a single system to let the squad in, then you were looking for Squad Six with Talina at the keyboard.  No one asked where she got her skills and she never talked,  But the rumors flew that she was the computer world's version of Deunan Knute.  
  
Saturday morning came and while most of the group that was there to await the results of the scan were nervous, however Talina was confidant in her work and it showed as she moved about the room setting up the scanner and calibrating it.  "Lay down Briarios.  This won't take long, and as long as there's been a significant drop in the little buggers I get to send a happy report to the captain."  
  
Scanning his body she went to the screen and looked at the results and shook her head muttering.  Running the scan one more time she tried again and looked at the screen again.  "Not possible." Were the only words that the rest of the room could understand as she quickly walked over to the terminal she programmed the bugs on and brought up the program and highlighted a certain section and ran it.  The screen flashed red and her eyes went incredibly wide.  "Clean.  Completely and utterly fucking clean."  
  
Turning around she got up and moved the scanning equipment so Briarios could sit up.  "Congratulations.  My programming worked better than I had initially hoped.  You are 100 percent clean of the nano-machines."  
  
The diagnosis made Yoshi and Deunan cheer while Tereus and Talina grinned at the idea that Briarios would never have to relive that horror.  Briarios got up off the table and looked over at Talina, "I believe you have a sparring session today then."  You could hear the pleased relief in his voice as he looked at the shorter woman.  
  
"Let me shut down here and I'll be down in the gym in a few.  Why down you three go down and warm up.  I've been here for a few hours so I've already done some warm ups."  With that said she turned her back to them to start putting the equipment away, not caring if they answered or followed her direction or not.  
  
It was a good suggestion as they had all slept in this morning not wanting to deal with the jitters of having to wait so they took their time to make sure that she would be in.  As they made their way down to the gym they talked amongst themselves wondering if they would really need to work as hard as they thought they would to get her back under control.  "Remember that she has to use those specialized keyboards now?"  Tereus pointed out.  "If she has to use those when she's focused or calm.  What would happen when she's got a bunch of adrenalin running through her system?"  
  
"Good point.  I'll have to be careful as we get going.  She'll probably have more control in the beginning until she starts to let go and gets into the fight."  Briarios replied, knowing that Deunan was going to worry about the unknown factor of Talina's combat skills and strength.  "Don't worry Deunan.  When she singled me out it was because of my speed and skill she was counting on to get us both out of this relatively unhurt.  I also did a little research about Tai Chi Chuan so I know a little bit of what to expect from her.  As long as she isn't using weapons I'll be able to keep control of this match."  
  
Deunan nodded while they all split up into the locker rooms to get changed.  Once changed Tereus and Briarios engaged in a little light sparring complete with verbal sparring to warm up and when they were done they noticed that Talina was changed and ready.  However instead of the regular PT uniform of the ES.W.A.T. she wore a pair of black loose fitting silk pants, with a sleeveless black silk shirt that had a high neck, most of the seams on the shirt were lined with red piping and the closures were red frog styled closures instead of buttons.  Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun which was pinned close to her head emphasizing her heritage.  Her hands weren't empty though.  In her hands were two duffel bags.  Both looked like they weighed quite a bit and she left them outside the sparring ring before digging out her mouth guard and entering.  
  
"What's in the bags Talina?"  Deunan asked, curious for once about another's gear.  
  
"Practice weapons.  I figured I'd go through my weapons forms after this while the gym is empty to regain my balance with some of them.  Most of them are sharp despite the fact that they are for practice, which is why I suggested weaponless sparring."  A shrug dismissed the topic as she turned to face her sparring partner.  "Ready Briarios?"  
  
Briarios walked to the edge of the ready circle and moved to a standard ready stance and nodded.  "Ready Talina."  
  
Talina bowed with her hands at her chest before taking a low heel stance.  "Then we shall begin."  
  



	4. 4

Briarios took advantage of the fact that in that low of a stance Talina should NOT be able to get up in any sort of time to dodge him, but he found that she did not have to.  Instead she brought herself around in a heel sweep that with her new body weight and speed knocked the wind out of him as he hit his back on the mat.  "Not bad."  Kipping back to his feet he again got into a ready stance only to see her in a cat stance.  
  
This time Talina opened up, seeming to float towards her opponent she started with a simple front kick she used that to cover for her one two punch combo to the side that was too fast for the cyborg to counter even though he had seen it.  Withdrawing to allow her opponent to recover she smiled slightly with her head cocked to the side knowing that her "floating" trick was what had thrown him off.  
  
"You could have flattened me after that combo?"  It was more of a question of why she didn't and Talina heard the question.  
  
"I still have control right now.  So I'm letting your senses have a break after each salvo, cause I get the feeling that once we get going, neither one of us will get much of a break."  There was a wry smile indicating that she had heard the stories of what had happened when Tereus had gotten him riled.  
  
They again prepared, and once in their stances Briarios attacked, right cross, left snap kick, left straight, left snap kick, two quick right jabs that tapped their target, right round house, right spinning round house, right leg sweep, left upper cut. All while this was happening Talina was stance dancing, dodging, or blocking to the best of her ability, however the round went to Briarios when the upper cut took her completely off her feet and flattened her to the floor.  
  
"Oooo, that had to sting."  Tereus muttered from the sidelines knowing that when Briarios unleashed like that he generally only pulled back just enough to keep from breaking bones.  Deunan nodded in agreement, she tended to be the sparring partner of choice for the two because she would go all out and knew that when she did she wouldn't be able to hurt them, much.  But still, that was still pushing it.  
  
"You OK Talina?"  Briarios asked quietly as he knelt down next to his sparring partner lightly tapping her shoulder.  
  
"Oi.  I felt that one.  No more upper cuts will ya?  That one alone's gonna leave a mark."  Shaking her head gently she checked herself over and decided she was good to keep going as soon as she had a sip of water and staggered out of the ring for a sec to grab her water bottle.  Taking care of the cotton mouth from the bite guard she replaced it and stepped back in.  
  
Shrugging the light kinks out of her shoulders neck and body she reassessed herself and decided that she would be feeling this in the morning, but it wasn't something that would hurt her in the long run.  "So I take it you want me to cut loose now?"  
  
"Might be a good idea if you don't want to get flattened like that again."  She could hear the smirk in his tone of voice and it just struck her wrong lighting the flame of irritation in her.  
  
"You'll have to do a lot better than that to flatten me like that again.  I'll promise you that.  You on the other had might find yourself flattened a time or two though."  Her voice was quiet, but it was not calm, and Deunan could easily read the feminine irritation in it.  The corners of her mouth twitched up in amusement as she realized what was about to happen.  
  
"Ohhh, He's just put the can opener to himself now."  Tereus looked at her strangely but kept watching figuring the comment would be explained soon enough.  
  
Talina took the opening stance for the Yang Fajing Form and as her dark eyes hardened the rest of her body had a soft form, but her eyes were hard, and ready.  This time as the attack came, she simply wasn't there.  The attack would come and she would simply melt from in front of it, be it to the side, or below it.  But she would not be where the attack expected her to be.  Soon Briarios started to get frustrated with the dodging and voiced his frustrations.  "Why are you just avoiding my attacks and not attacking back?"  
  
"Because for me to prepare a proper counter attack I must understand the movements of my opponent, and you have proven to me that you are more than I have estimated.  I also am more than I have estimated so I must take care in planning my attack."  The response was cool like water, breathy like wind, solid like earth and ready like fire.  And soon Talina stopped flowing between the two nebulous elements and started her attack, vacillating between the two harsh elements.  Attacking with the speed of fire blocking with the strength and power of the earth.  In three hits Talina landed her own upper cut, its power knocking the much bigger man off his feet and backwards till he fell onto the floor.  Once she saw that he was still she stopped her attack and immediately proceeded to see if he was OK.  
  
"Briarios, are you still alive?"  Her concern was clearly heard now that she was no longer fighting.  There was a distinct shake in her voice that would probably be present in her body if she wasn't locking herself down.  
  
Briarios coughed once before talking.  "That, stings.  OK.  No more upper cuts for either of us, even if it doesn't leave a mark on me I'm still going to be feeling that in the morning.  You would have done some serious damage to Tereus with that palm smash to the chest.  Lets call it a day, wind down and go for a few beers, whaddya say?"  
  
"Sounds like a good idea.  You guys might want to let me take one of the open sparring areas, just make sure people don't get close to me, I'm going to do a broadsword long form to wind down."  Seeing them startle at the words broadsword she pulled her tai chi sword out of her long bag and showed it to them.  "See?  Tai Chi Broadsword.  Not the western style sword."  Seeing their understanding she moved over to the open mat and got into the ready position for the Five Elements Broadsword Form.  In unspoken agreement Tereus went to help Briarios with his cool down sparring and Deunan went to keep an eye on Talina and make sure that no one got in the way of the silent blade.  
  
Talina was in her own zone now.  She had tuned out the room completely and was now in tune with her body and mind, doing what she needed to learn about it, and what was different about it.  Her sifu did not say that she could not practice her art away from the dojo, in fact seemed to imply that doing so might help her to return sooner.  But she needed this time to herself in the room of people.  Later on, when she was at home she would go through all of her forms, from blue sash to black fringe.  It would take her all day to do it, but it would help her to refocus her body, mind and spirit.  Something she sorely needed in these trying times.  As the form began to wind down she began to let her senses expand back out and noticed that she had been watched.  It wasn't a bad thing, and she was usually watched when she went through her long forms.  Opening her eyes as her form came to a close she noticed that her watcher was Deunan.  Pleased that they had taken her warning to heart she smiled and sheathed her broadsword before bagging it and taking both the bags back into the locker room.  
  
When she came back out everyone was dressed again to go back out into the civilian world.  "I could really use that drink right about now."  She said, miming like she was going to fall over from being parched, drawing a laugh from the trio around her.  
  
This time they went for something non-alcoholic and as they walked around the busy streets that evening just getting to know each other they ran into a public disturbance.  "Whaddya think you are bitch.  Some hot shit thinkin' you're talking back to me huh?"  
  
"Oh he did not just say that."  Talina muttered, locking her arms at her side her posture telling the others that the situation was disturbing her greatly.  
  
"You know him?"  Deunan asked quietly as they watched the situation carefully.  
  
"Yeah.  Abusive little fuck.  He was my boyfriend before I joined ES.W.A.T.  I almost didn't accept the recommendation because of him.  I'm still working out some issues.  Looks like his time in rehab hasn't done him any good.  He's up to his old tricks again, with another woman who doesn't deserve his brand of attentions."  By the time Talina was done she was growling out her words and had the firm attention of both Briarios and Tereus as well.  
  
By the time they all looked back up they were just in time to see the man pull back and strike the woman.  It was all Talina needed to dart forward to pull her spare cuffs out and apprehend him.  "You, sir, are under arrest for the assault of an Olympian citizen."  
  
"Who the fuck are you!"  
  
"Talina Ryuujin of ES.W.A.T. Olympian police are on their way to take you into custody.  Resisting arrest will only make this worse for you."  
  
"Ryuujin huh?  So you did make it in.  Wha'd they do.  Pity you're pathetic ass and take you in for lack of anything better?"  The dangerous smirk on the man's face let them all know that he knew what kind of a dangerous game he was playing with the woman.  He knew that she couldn't strike him now that he knew that she was an officer of the law.  
  
However cooler heads prevailed.  Cooler, and far more dangerous heads.  Tereus pulled Talina back out of range of the man while ES.W.A.T.'s most famous pair stepped forward to take him in hand.  "I wouldn't call her worthless considering she was sparring evenly with me earlier today"  Briarios let the man know exactly where Talina stood with them and both partners were pleased to see the man gulp as he realized that he may have stepped into some shit deeper than he could walk in.  
  
Tereus had his hands full with a slightly enraged woman.  Not knowing exactly how to deal with this he instead allowed himself to act as a buffer towards the woman's active emotions.  "You need to calm down Talina, if this is his second offense, you know he'll be going away for a long time."  
  
"Scum like him always find a way out.  They crawl out between the cracks or through the holes find new prey and they never really change.  Oh they know what the system wants to hear.  But once they're out, their real face comes back out to play and they're off raping, beating, pillaging, drugging, doing whatever it is that feeds their sadistic, sick, twisted pleasures."  Her face was normally pleasant to look at, but at that moment, Tereus was surprised to see the amount of rage, disgust and hatred on it.  It completely twisted and marred what he considered a fairly pretty face into something completely grotesque.  
  
Closing his eyes for a moment to regain his sense of equilibrium he did something he normally considered completely unprofessional.  He turned her around so that she could see that the Olympian Police were indeed there and taking the man into custody, and then while she was still in his custody he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, hoping that it would help her to calm down some to know that someone cared enough about her to comfort her while she was distressed.  It was a clue in that he had seen in other mentally strong women who had been emotionally or mentally shaken.  Sometimes all it took was the reassurance that there was someone there for them and they would calm.  Sitting with his back against a pillar and watching the whole situation he crossed his legs and brought Talina down into his lap.  She didn't fight him and from what little he could tell with her back to him, she was starting to calm down some from her fury.  
  
While he and Talina waited for the Olympian police to come over to take their report, he found himself oddly content to just sit there with this strange woman in his lap.  He barely knew her, He knew that she was dedicated to her work and proving herself to her team and to herself.  Something like how he had been before Deunan had pounded some sense into him.  Considering what he'd heard about her, she had nothing to worry about when it came to her worth to her squad or to ES.W.A.T. she was a valuable find like Deunan was.  
  
When the police finally came over they all raised eyebrows at their situation but eventually passed it over once he refused to answer any questions about it, spoken or otherwise.  "We're off duty, what we do on that time is none of your business, and does not pertain to this investigation."  It took another ten minutes to ask and answer questions but once they were done they handed her back her spare handcuffs thanking her for being vigilant and they moved on citing that they had another call coming in that they had to answer.  
  
Questions could not be avoided from Deunan and Briarios though when they came back and saw the situation the bioroid had found himself in.  However Talina saved him from embarrassing jibes by explaining the situation now that she was thinking clearly again.  "I was enraged, Tereus did what he needed to do to keep me from doing something that would have exacerbated the situation.  Thank you for the drinks and the time out together, but I think I should go home and rest.  Briarios, the sparring data that I have will be in your mailbox first thing in the morning."  
  
"Likewise"  He replied watching the woman get up and leave in the direction of her house which wasn't too far from where they were at that point.  It had been a long day for all of them and they all agreed that maybe it was for the best if they all rested and took their day off to recover from the sparring session.  
  



	5. 5

In the days and weeks after the incident on the street they ran into each other once in a while in the station but didn't have time to do much more than say hi.  Their random sparring sessions with Briarios were indeed helping her to regain her control over her new systems and she was now working in an occasional sparring session with Tereus to see if she had pulled her control back far enough not to hurt anyone while on duty.  
  
Over those weeks each of the various cyborgs in the various squads were called back to the labs for an optional security systems update.  When they were told what the update would do for them they all chose to update their software and allowed for the hour processing time needed to cover their systems.  
  
Two months after the public incident Talina finally received notice that she was to be ready to appear in court the next day as witness for the prosecution in the case she had apprehended.  She wasn't sure she would be able to hold her temper, but she knew that if she was in uniform, it would make a difference as it would remind her to at least remain professional.    
  
The trial came and with a few questions from the prosecution and from the defense she was released.  Irritated that the defense had brought up her past with the odious man she went straight to the station gym and pulled her fans out.  Dressing in her uniform she quickly made her way out to the mat that she had, over time, declared as her practice space while she was in the gym.  She decided that she was too angry for anything fancy and so decided to start at the beginning and work her way up so that she could clear her mind and find her center again.  So she started with Walking, and moved into Cloud Hands.  Relaxing her breathing and releasing her mind as she did each pattern she felt the stresses of the last few days start to lift as she started to move into Eight Brocade Exercises  She kept going.  This was going to take a while.  Finally she started into the Yang Eight Form, her focus was completely internal so she did not notice that she had garnered another audience to watch her dance.  
  
While she was in her mind she started working over why she let the past rule her actions so much.  Especially in that one area.  She focused her movements and let them flow like water, with resistance like air as she considered how many flash backs to her relationship she had when she had thought she had finally gotten past him.  Closing the Yang Eight she flowed into the Single Push hands exercises before moving into the Yang 16.  
  
People were starting to mutter now as she had been on the mat moving from one exercise to another for well over an hour and a half now.  Briarios had just come into the room and noticed the crowd and walked over to see what was going on.  "What's up?"  
  
"Talina's been doing this for over an hour and a half apparently, people are starting to get worried."  One of the crowd members told him.  
  
Looking at Talina he did a quick scan of her breathing, heart rate and other notable vital signs he spoke up, but not enough to startle the woman exercising.  "Break it up, she's in a state of meditation, she'll come out of it when she's ready.  Go back to your routines, or keep watching if it fascinates you that much."  
  
With that he went to his own corner of the gym and started his own exercises.  He had his own routine to keep up and knew that Talina had been hard at work lately with the upgrades to the security software for the cyborg troupes.  How she got the clearance to do so over the network security department he'd never know, but he wouldn't ask either, so long as what she did worked.  
  
Talina's mind however was far away from the world of work or play.  She was no longer contemplating old boyfriends or new, she was in the state of no mind.  It was a wondrous state to be in and she loved it when she could achieve this state.  She was thinking, but not thinking, all but none.  She had just completed the Yang 24 Form and was moving into the Yang 40 Form in this blissful state.  She knew that the longer she could maintain this state of trance the longer she'd be able to maintain her clear minded state when she returned to the "real world".  
  
Tereus and Deunan were sparring and thought nothing of Talina's Tai Chi practice, each having done some light reading on the subject and having read that some practitioners could go hours in their meditations, so they left her alone knowing that she knew what she was doing and if something were to happen someone would be near by to give her a hand.  They had seen her bring her fans out for practice, but seeing now how deeply embedded she was in her empty hand practice they thought she wouldn't ever get to them today.  They were made of beautifully patterned silk covering the steel spines that supported the silk.  They could be considered a weapon if used properly, but with the way Talina used them, it was more like a dance, though Deunan was quite sure that the dance was meant to be deadly if the speed was picked up and put into combat.  
  
This time Deunan came out on top of their sparring session.  Looking around they saw that Briarios was starting to cool down from his single exercises but the gym was still busy, with other either doing solo routines, sparring or working out of the weight machines.  There were still a number of people watching Talina as she had started into her 48 Combination Form.  She had been at this since long before any of them had come into the gym, and was still going strong despite the fact that she was glowing now with a steady round of sweat.  But she looked completely at peace with herself and the world around her.  It was something most of squad six didn't see very often after she came back from her medical leave.  She always seemed out of tune with her environment.  Now, it seemed, she was getting back in balance again and it was doing her, and the others around her a lot of good.  
  
Smiling, most of squad six muttered various praises that their little Cracker had come back to them.  Something they could see that others couldn't was back in her and they were glad for it.  Tereus, Deunan and Briarios looked at each other but shrugged unknowingly.  Each figuring that if squad six saw something coming back to their team member that was a good thing then they would see it as a good thing as well and they'd support her as well.  
  
Finally Briarios's name was called on the roster for his security update.  He had already heard through the grapevine what this optional patch was supposed to do and had already made up his mind that he was accept the patch to plug the hole in his systems so he wouldn't have to deal with another nightmare like he did during the Halcon incident when he nearly killed Deunan on that rooftop ever again.  
  
When he came into the room he found that there was a member of congress sitting in one corner watching things happen in the lab.  Normally they didn't even have the clearance to see this part of the base so this was a surprise.  Looking over at Talina he asked.  "Who's the new guy?"  He held in his chuckle when she looked over at the man with the dirtiest look he had seen on a woman and muttered "JAFO" in the slimiest tone she could manage so even the man in the corner could not miss that he had been insulted.  
  
"Young lady, may I remind you that the results of these proceedings are what will allow you to continue your security clearance at this level."  The severe look she was given bounced off her as she glared full force back at him  
  
"Look you robe wearing sniveling twit.  I don't give a damn what you or anyone else in congress thinks.  I do my job, I protect my comrades, I protect your skinny ass when shit hits the fan and I don't expect a word of gratitude when I'm done at night.  Sit down, shut up, observe and then get the fuck out of my computer lab."  Turning back around to her terminal she proceeded to ignore the spluttering bureaucrat.  When he finally pulled himself together and calmed down she turned back around to finish her adjustments to the machinery that would be hooked up to Briarios.  
  
"So what are you going to be doing to my Security software?"  He asked wanting to know exactly what parts she was altering and how much.  
  
"Oh, not much.  I'm just tweaking it so that it will sound an alert if you become contaminated with foreign mechanical micro bodies or foreign software the doesn't have the proper security sequences.  You'll be aware of the alert and have a couple of choices.  Lock yourself down into a state of suspended animation until such a time as we, Yoshitsune and I, can clear your systems, or you can go into a full viral flush which will be activated by your own anti-viral codes.  That work for you?"  She finished hooking him up to the download center and waited for his response.  
  
"That sounds like a better choice than I had just over a year ago.  Lets do this."  
  
"OK.  Now while this is downloading into your system there are a couple things you need to know.  You will need an hour after this for the software patch to soak through and integrate into your systems, so chill out, meditate, take a nap, whatever, but no rigorous activity.  The captain knows you're in for your update at this time so he's cleared you from the roster for the afternoon.  He did that for all of the cyborgs that have gone for updates, that's why its taken so long, we had to rotate the schedule to allow time for the software to integrate."  Putting actions to words she was downloading the software for Briarios into his main data bank and smiled as she saw that there were no immediate rejections of the patch.  Each patch had been specifically written for the user.  It had taken her a lot of time she could have been using sleeping or going out getting to know people, but this project had taken priority in her mind and she didn't mind closeting herself for the weeks it had taken to push the patches.  Briarios had been the hardest to write considering how extensive his systems were.  Even more so than hers.  
  
As she got up from her chair she stopped on the far side of the ES.W.A.T. member and whispered very softly.  "TARFU FUBAR.  NSH"  She finished unplugging him from the loader while she whispered acting as she normally would hoping that the other cyborg had gotten her message and known what she had meant.  Some of the old acronyms were never used anymore, but she was counting on the militant members like him to know them.  
  
"That's all for today.  Good luck on future missions Briarios."  There was hesitation in her eyes as she looked up at the taller man, but her well wishes were genuine despite the odd tone of them.  Briarios merely nodded and walked out of the lab, determined to find Tereus and Deunan to figure out just what the heck was going on.    
  
After Briarios left Talina whirled on the congressional member.  "I've done your dirty work, now get out before I have the captain escort you out.  I'm done playing games, Prime Minister Athena would never have agreed to this."  
  
"The Prime Minister has too much power with way the ES.W.A.T. is layed out.  We, as the congressional body, feel that by dulling her sword and shrinking her shield some, she will be forced to think her actions through a little more carefully instead of just sending ES.W.A.T out whenever there's a small disturbance."    
  
The calm face of the legislator did nothing to cool the rage Talina was feeling at that moment.  However she was well in control of herself and with a calm detachment she didn't want to be feeling at that moment she pressed the call button to Lance's office.  "Captain, the congressman has completed his observation and has indicated his wish to leave, please provide an escort for him, I have other work I need to catch up on since the patch took me away from my regular duties for a while."  
  
"I'll do that Talina, Tereus will be down in a couple minutes to escort the congressman out.  Lance out."  
  
While she waited for her rescuer to arrive, Talina started in on the somewhat large stack of paperwork that had piled up over the last couple weeks in her in box.  Sorting it into Critical, Not so Critical and Routine piles, she started on the routine stuff first.  Flicking through the papers she signed, filled in blanks, printed up reports and attached them, and sent out requested information.  This being routine took her very little time to do and soon her tallest stack of paperwork was down to a short stack as Tereus walked into the lab.  
  
"Good afternoon Talina, I take it you're glad that the push to get the security patch pushed out is over with?"  It was a question that didn't need an answer as he could see the stress of the last few weeks already relaxing out of her body as she worked on some of her routine paperwork to get caught up.  Fortunately as she hadn't been on any assignments with Squad Six as of late she didn't have anything major in the way of reports to write for combat scenarios.  
  
Looking over at the Congressman he nodded to him.  "Good afternoon Congressman.  If you'll just follow me, you can be on your way and we'll take no more of your time today."  To anyone else he was the epitome of polite and respectful to the congressman.  However with the sparring and the evenings out spent with Tereus, Deunan and Briarios; Talina was picking up on his personality quirks, and one of them was when he didn't like what he was doing, his voice held a flat edge to it.  Not enough to be immediately noticeable, but enough to tell friends and people close to him, such as his fellow squad members that he wasn't thrilled with his assignment for whatever reason.  
  
Talina nodded to the Congressman and waved to Tereus before going back to her work, finishing up the stack of routine work before working up to the "not so critical" pile.  This pile was significantly smaller than her routine work, but required more reports she didn't have handy as well as presentations she needed to prepare.  One of the reports needed was the final report on how the patch push went and why it took so long.  Fortunately this report didn't need to be made in person, but she knew that she could do things to this report that would put Lance on alert.  He needed to know.  He needed to tell Nike and the Prime Minister.  Someone was out there pushing buttons where they had no business being and while she had a good idea who and what they were, she couldn't get to them and she needed more proof than her current data provided.  Her chance would come if/when Briarios came through for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Acronyms used  
> JAFO: Just Another F***ing Observer  
> TARFU: Things Are Really F***ed Up  
> FUBAR: F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition  
> NSH: Need Safe Haven


	6. 6

The next morning came far too early for Talina and it found her still at her desk preparing the report and presentation for the situation she now found herself in.  So much she could not tell without tipping off her unseen observer that she knew what was going on and was alerting her superiors to the problem.  She could only hint and beat around the bush so much.  
  
Fortunately for her Lance came into her lab before shift change with a puzzled look on his face.  "Talina, I got a message yesterday from Briarios that I should come see you this morning.  He said it wasn't serious but I should make a point of stopping in.  What's this all about?"  Talina looked around and noting that the lab was empty she looked at Lance and then back to her computer screen after switching on her recorder in front of him.  
  
Changing her typing rhythm she started talking.  "There's nothing major going on sir, I just thought you might like to know that I will be late on the report and if you needed it, I could give you a verbal report now while I am putting together the written report and presentation."  There was a tightness around her eyes.  This wasn't planned for, but a welcome interruption.  She only hoped that Lance would take her verbal presentation and get the message she was leaving in the background.  
  
"Very well then, I won't make you stand as its obvious that this is taking a lot of your time if you are still clocked in.  If you don't mind though I will take a seat and accept your report."  Lance noted the tightness around her eyes, and how they darted around the room as her typing started and stopped in fits and starts.  This wasn't normal behavior for her, but neither was Briarios's message the day before.  He was starting to piece together a lot of strange behaviors around the station lately into a picture he wasn't sure he was going to like.  
  
"Fine.  Pull up a seat."  Continuing her typing she moved over a little so that she could see the Captain and the Captain could see her.  "First of all the patches installed without rejection from any of the cybernetic systems I worked with in the time frame given.  The reason the patch timing took so long was that while I was testing and patching one unit I was writing and troubleshooting the patch for the next unit.  I was writing the security patches  as a unique ID for each of the hardware systems that they were to work with.  I noticed that the network security department was starting to get lazy about that.  Instead of writing the patches to spec they were starting to write generalized software patches and it was starting to leave large holes in some of the cybernetic systems I encountered.  I fixed those holes as I encountered them and that is the reason some of the patches for the smaller units were larger than some of the patches for the bigger units."    
  
All the time she was speaking she was also typing, her hands never stopping the tap tap stop go rhythm she had started after the recorder had turned on.  Talina also never stopped her occasional glance around the room, making sure that no one else was in with them.  "Briarios was set to patch last because his systems by far were the most extensive and had the most security holes to patch.  Doing so without crashing his current security software was taking up all of my down time between everyone else's patches.  Considering he isn't back in the lab this morning with severe system malfunctions, I'd say that the patch worked and he's back up to peak performance security wise again.  Same with all the other cyborg units that are employed by ES.W.A.T."  
  
Lance raised his eyebrows at some parts of the report but was impressed over all.  It seemed that the network admin team had some work to do to catch up with one software analyst.  "Sounds like you have the Network Administration team caught up in the work they need to do and you've set the bar for what they need to do in the future.  I hate to ask you this but would you be willing to write up a check list of what needs to be done for each patch?  That way I don't have to task you with this job every time it comes up."  
  
It was a task she wasn't expecting but was pleased to take on.  These last three weeks had taken any reserves she had and erased them.  She was ready to sleep for the next 48 hours and then sleep for another 48 more.  "Sure, I'd be happy to do that.  Won't be too hard for that to be done in between all the routine work I've been doing here.  Speaking of?"  She paused not sure if this was a good time to bring it up but she was getting itchy.  
  
"Yes, Talina?"  Lance had a pretty good idea of what was bugging the young analyst.  He knew what she really was.  Software analyst was just a pretty name that made her look legit on the payroll.  
  
"Captain, when can I go back out into the field?  I mean my squad is asking when I'm coming back onto full duty, and to be frank sir, I'm going out of my mind flying a desk and programming anti-hacks."  The typing had finally stopped and with her hands away from the keyboard she was looking straight into Lance's dark eyes.  
  
"Soon Talina.  That's all I can promise.  The problem is that you need a partner for what you do on that team and while I know that you and the rest of Six are close that you could potentially partner with any of them, I want you to have a partner you don't have to worry about your own six with and the rest of Six is paired up."  He looked both stern and apologetic to the woman.    
  
She knew the situation he was in with her being out on the wings like this and there had been several missions lately that could have used her talents but she had been home bound because of her limitations.  Just the promise that she would be back out in the field soon was enough to give her hope that she would be out of the lab and back doing what she did best.  Cracking systems wide open for her team.  "I guess I can understand that.  I just don't want to lose my touch.  There's a certain touch you gotta have to be able to crack those systems in the time limits you give me under that kind of stress.  I lose that touch I'm pretty much locked here in the office and no good to you anymore."  
  
"I understand that, that is why I'm working on getting you a partner as soon as humanly possible.  I promise, soon.  I understand your itchiness to get back out into the field Talina, and frankly you've been more patient than most convalescents I've seen around here."  His lips twitched upwards in an amused smile as he remembered the one and only time Deunan had been put on the restricted duties roster.  It had taken a direct order from Athena to get her to stay put instead of haring off after Tereus and Briarios when a mission had come up when she had been laid up.  
  
"So I take it that the reports of my control and PT are positive then and I can start focusing on some of my other combat exercises?"  There was a hopeful note in her voice as she wanted for once to go out into the Combat Zone of the base and practice to get back into shape.  She had new skills to learn now, and her new friends in Squad Two had promised to play war games with her to help her learn them so that if she ever got pinned down with whomever her new partner was, she wouldn't be pinned for long.  
  
"Yes, I'll give you clearance for that.  I had heard the rumors that you had been running with Squad Two's 'unholy trio' as they are called.  If they promised to teach you war games to help your survivability rating then I'll let it go."  He shook his head as he thought about the idea of the analyst learning the hard core war tactics that Deunan and Briarios were used to.  However he did like the idea that she would be far better prepared to hold her own rather than knowing just the basics and having the be rescued should something happen to pin her down or take her as a hostage.  
  
"Thanks!"  Talina pulled the recorded mini-disk from the recorder and handed it to Lance with a desperate look.  Puzzled by the look but not letting it show he nodded to her.  
  
"I'll be expecting that report later today if you're working this hard on it.  You will have three days leave once you turn that in since I know from your access card log files that you haven't left the base to do much more than check your physical mail and make sure that your house was still in one piece in the last three weeks."  With that he turned around and left.  
  
Smiling Talina put the final touches on the report and the presentation knowing that the moment she hit send it would be in his in-box before he even got back to his office.  With that she grabbed her jacket, punched out and tore out of the room and towards the garages where her car had been sitting the last couple days to go home.


	7. 7

Three days of peace and quiet passed.  For Talina it was a dream for the most part as she did indeed spend most of her leave time sleeping.  Recovered from her extreme exhaustion she was looking forward to clocking back in and seeing if there was a partner assignment in her box.  Flashing her badge at the gate she pulled in and parked.  Getting out she noticed that the lot she was in was a little more empty than usual and figured that Lance had put one of the squads on leave since it had been quiet lately.  
  
The mess with the Congress sitting in and observing her work still bothered her as she reported, ultimately, to Athena and the administrative branch.  Something wasn't adding up, but she put it from her mind as she put her bags in her locker and walked over to the time clock.  Punching in with her code an alert went off in the building.  Thinking it to be a coincidence she went to leave the locker room only to find half the area had convened on the doors, weapons drawn and the non-cyborg members looking confused at the rock hard combat ready looks that the cyborg team members wore.  
  
Looking around she finally located some of the members of Squad Two, including Briarios.  Putting one and one together she closed her eyes and groaned quietly as her own squad leader barked the order.  "Hands in the air, no sudden movements.  We will shoot."  
  
"Briarios, do you agree with this course of action?"  Talina's tone was formal, almost flat in tone and it puzzled Briarios as she followed the instructions given to her by her Squad mates.  
  
"What are you talking about Talina, unless you've done something to endanger the lives of everyone on the base, of course I don't."  His tone was very nearly indignant at the idea that he would shoot her without knowing the reason why first.  
  
"Please for the love of everything you hold dear, trust me.  Go into the patch code, connect on a base wide frequency to all combat cyborgs that are responding to the alert and broadcast code section 665 to all of them.  November Sierra Hotel."  Talina's voice was starting to shake from fear.  She had 20 of the deadliest firearms pointed at her by some of the best shots in the world.  If this didn't work, or Briarios didn't trust her, she was going to die.  
  
"I don't know what the hell you programmed in there, but if it stops the madness..."  Hooking into the cyborg network he found the section of code she spoke of and after compiling it he broadcast it to everyone responding to the alert.  The effect was noticeable and immediate.  All of the cyborg troupes lowered their weapons and silenced the alert before going on their way without questioning what had just happened.  
  
Deunan and Tereus had just arrived at the scene and were wondering what the hell just happened when Briarios grabbed Talina by the arm gently and lead her to Lance's office without a word to his teammates, knowing that they would follow since they wanted their answers.  Once there they gained entry easily knowing that Lance would be in a state fit to be tied over the random alert going off on his base.  Random alerts meant paperwork and long meetings with Nike and Athena, and while they were not unpleasant people, he didn't care for the mental drilling they put him through every time something like this happened.  
  
Lance looked at the four people that had walked into his office and sighed.  There was no help for it, every time something happened to shake the base up, or Olympus for that matter, it seemed that Deunan and Briarios were in the middle of it.  This time it looked like they brought Tereus and Talina along for the ride.  Little did he know how backwards this was from reality.  "What the hell just happened?"  
  
Talina by this time had gotten control of herself back and stepped forward to explain when she remembered the disk that she had given him just before she had left for her three day leave.  "Captain, I have a question to ask before I answer that question."  Waiting for permission she continued.  "Did you listen to the disk I gave you?"  
  
"Why would I listen to that?  I know what is on it."  He remembered the conversation, but there was a desperate note in the woman's tone that was making him sit up and take note of it now.  
  
"Could you please play it for everyone here?  I'm thinking that Briarios and Deunan might catch the message I left for you."  Trying to get the urgency of the situation across without actually breaking down and talking about it when the person she was fighting against could be listening, watching or both, she had to calm herself before she lost her composure.  
  
Composure regained she watched everyone else in the room as he played the disk back.  At first he didn't hear it because he was listening for messages in what she was saying.  However this all changed when he recognized a strip of the tapping that she had been doing on her keyboard during the conversation and pulled a pen and pad of paper out.  
  
As the conversation closed he restarted the disk to get the rest of the message and handed it to her for confirmation as to the message that was meant for him.  At her nod his face dropped into a scowl.  "I'm sorry Talina, but I'm going to have to take you into custody now."  
  
Deunan and Tereus were shocked at the decision as they hadn't seen the note, nor had they been able to translate the message as she had been tapping in Morse Code at about 60 words per minute.  Accepting the decision Talina turned her back to Briarios and brought her hands behind her so that he could secure them.  Lance came around the desk and removed her sidearm and badge before placing a locater tag on her ankle.  "You are to be placed under house arrest until such time as we hear from Nike what to do with you."  
  
"I understand Captain and will comply."  Talina's easy acceptance of the situation baffled Deunan and Tereus until Lance addressed them.  
  
"Tereus, Deunan, you two as well as Briarios here best know Talina's new physical capabilities.  I'm assigning you as her guard to be rotated until this situation resolves itself.  Take your vehicles and follow Briarios in his to her residence."  He word danced as best he could.  He had to talk to Nike and Athena NOW, before Talina was placed in any greater danger.  He'd get the report from Briarios during the meeting, whatever happened today, was tied to the message and now brought this situation up to intolerable.  
  
The four left the station and the base once installed into Briarios's car she dropped the act of the well behaved and repentant apprehended and relaxed as much as she could in the cyborg proof cuffs that held her with a sigh of relief.  "Well, the hard part's over."  
  
Briarios looked over at her as he drove and she could almost feel the question that was coming.  "How do you figure that?"  
  
"This situation has been brewing since just before your nanite infection as close as I can figure.  I just haven't been able to tell anyone what was going on till now."  Talina's eyes narrowed, anger starting to feed into her system as she started to plan out her next move.  
  
"You've been in danger for well over a month and haven't been able to tell anyone?  I don't believe that considering how intelligent you are underneath that combat exterior you now have."  The derision and irritation in her lack of faith in them showed in his tone.  
  
"Briarios, this isn't a battle you're used to fighting.  This is a battle on my turf.  I'll explain more when we're at my house, but I ask you to trust me like you did when the cyborg members of ES.W.A.T. nearly shot me today."  Looking far older and more tired than she she have been after a three day rest leave she sank back into the seat as much as possible and looked out the window, hoping she would have a minute or two to herself to gather herself together for the explanation that was to come.  
  



	8. 8

Once Talina was in her home and the shades were drawn against the evening sun and the neighbors Briarios released the restraints, letting the woman wander around her home adjusting things that needed it and sorting through the mail once she had gone out to get it.  He knew she wouldn't run, she wanted this mess sorted out more than he did and it looked like she was going to be their key player when it came to the final confrontation.  
  
He was however surprised when she logged into her terminal and after entering a half dozen codes gave a satisfied smirk before shutting it down again.  It wasn't long after that that Tereus and Deunan walked into the house.  Both knew they were welcome, this wouldn't be the first time they had spent time in for the evening.  However it would be the first time they would be spending it in under orders.  Looking at the two that had reached the location before them with open curiosity they all took seats and started in on the drinks that Talina had taken the time to set out, knowing that explanations were going to be long, and could well take into the night before everything got sorted out.  
  
Reverting back to some nervous mannerisms they hadn't seen after she started winning about half her spars with Tereus on an even basis they wondered how bad it really was.  "I guess you want to know what it was that I told the Captain in that Morse Code message huh?"  
  
"That would be a good place to start, we can get history at another point in time."  Tereus was blunt knowing that Talina wouldn't take it personally now.  Deunan and Briarios agreed setting back in their chairs, letting Talina have a moment to gather her information together before she started.  
  
"The basic gist of the message was that cyber terrorism, in the sense of the old world use of the word, has gone out of control.  I am now a target of those terrorists, in fact I am the only target and through me the rest of ES.W.A.T.  I have been fighting the war on my own, keeping a lid on the viruses, hacking attempts, and multiple bombardments upon our computer systems and the security systems of the ES.W.A.T. Cyborg agents.  Today's attack on me was because they finally got through in a manner that was not expected and in my opinion is playing dirty."  Talina looked down at the floor now, the far away look in her eyes gone and replaced with a burning look of rage.  Tereus saw this and placed a hand on her shoulder to remind her that she was no longer alone in this.  
  
"What happened Talina?"  Deunan was concerned now.  She had seen the looks of confusion on the non-cyborg members of ES.W.A.T. when the alert had been cut off.  Now she was starting to put together a picture of what had happened.  
  
"The terrorists used the nano-machine incident with Briarios to basically point out a hole in the security systems I couldn't ignore.  When I went to work on it I started getting messages from members of the Congressional committees based in technology and security.  They held my job and my history over my head and told me that I needed to start adding things to the security protocols.  One of those things was a means for someone with the proper pass codes could essentially program an alarm into the alarm system of the base, and from there link it into the Cyborg agents so that they would respond in a certain manner when they heard that alarm.  Think something along the lines of post hypnotic suggestion.  I think they were either testing it, or were trying to remove me from the equation today.  Because it was my log in codes that triggered the base alarm."  
  
"And triggered 20 trigger happy cyborg troops ready to take you apart."  Tereus finished for her starting to understand what was happening and not liking it one bit, and judging from the looks on his partners faces, they didn't like it either.  
  
"So what was it that you programmed into my security protocols that made me immune to it and able to send out that little patch?"  Briarios asked really confused now.  
  
"You know what the other name for Software Analyst is right?  It's Hacker.  I've been a hacker since before the last world war.  I never program ANYTHING without a back door for me to change, halt, or undo what I've done.  In this case my back door was the security protocols I wrote for the Hecatonchires patch.  I trusted you, so I wrote the patch to look like the other patches that I've been writing as per my instructions, with the exception of that section of code.  Section 664 was a voice identification and override.  Had you been affected by the alert, my question would have overridden your systems and compiled 665 and broadcast it without your knowledge and you would not be sitting here listening to be tell you about this.  I only hope you trust me when I say that that section of code will only activate under a specific circumstance.  That being that you are acting under the codes I had to program into the override system I was told to make.  Do you trust me to leave that section of code in place?"  
  
"I think I need a little more of your history before I can make that call.  From what I know of you you shouldn't even be a part of ES.W.A.T. Instead you're a full member and doing things well above your security clearance that isn't even making the captain blink."  His full attention was on the smaller woman who was now well relaxed into her papasan.  She looked the picture of serenity legs crossed, eyes closed sipping a cup of tea.  What betrayed her nerves was the slight shake in the cup as she moved to set it down.  
  
I know that you and Deunan fought in the war.  You might have even heard me of me if you've been paying attention.  I know that Deunan has at the very least heard of me.  I'm not so sure about the information that Tereus has, so I'll start at the beginning."  Opening her eyes, there was a hint of mischief there as she continued.  "What do you guys know about the hacker by the name 'Oracle at the End of the World' A.K.A. 'Oracle666'?"  
  
"Oracle666 was the one that gave us the information we needed to get the hell out of that hell hole when we did.  They saved our lives that day.  Why?"  Deunan had gasped when she hat heard the name, she had heard of the Oracle666 from her father.  If the Oracle666 gave out information you took it and used it no questions asked.  No one knew who the Oracle666 was, or even their gender.  It was almost as if they were a ghost on the internet, uncatchable, untouchable, and only working for those deemed worthy.  While Briarios was questioning about what had happened during the war Deunan was pulling what she had learned from her father together to present it.  
  
As she made her presentation she started to have a sneaking suspicion that not everything was what it seemed here.  Looking at Tereus she could tell that he thought so as well which meant that Briarios was on the same wavelength as well.  "Why did you ask about the person who is sometimes attributed as the reason the last war didn't go to nukes."  
  
"I knew your father Deunan.  Granted I didn't know him well, nor did I know him in a face to face capacity.  But I knew him all the same.  I knew what he was fighting for and why.  I knew who Dr. Gilliam was, even if I didn't get to meet her, I am most honored to see her most precious creation survive, and flourish in the harsh world she had born it into.  To see them expanding their own horizons I think would make her proud."  Talina looked over at Tereus as she said this smiling gently her dark eyes warm with emotion that they didn't dare name, but could term as affection.    
  
Tereus on the other hand could almost be termed as blushing from the attention he was getting now.  The pride he saw in Deunan and Talina's eyes was more than he was willing to take knowing that he was 'just a bioroid'.  "So what's you knowing Colonel Knute got anything to do with this?"  He asked, trying to get the attention back on track.  
  
"The point is, if you haven't put the pieces together yet, I'm Oracle666."  Talina said simply, watching the surprise light across their faces even though suspicion had been there.  "Deunan, before your father died he asked me for one favor that I saw fit to grant him, knowing the reason he had made you the warrior you are.  He asked me that if you were to ever find yourself into a situation that you could not find your way out of, I was to grant the information you would need to manage.  To this date, you've only had the one situation during the war.  I'm proud of you."  A warm smile accompanied that statement as she gazed steadily at Deunan comparing her to the man she had gotten the chance to know via the computer networks and finding her everything the father had hoped her to be.  
  
"Briarios, thank you for being there for Deunan.  Thank you for being you.  Had the two of you not come together during the war, her job surviving, and mine in making sure she did would have been considerably harder.  That you've been there for her when she was brought in from the badlands and beyond is even beyond my wildest expectations.  Her father would have been pleased that she has a partner as steadfast, loving and loyal like you."  If Hecatonchires units could blush, it was obvious that Briarios was making a heroic effort on his part throughout her speech.   
  
Speaking a little roughly trying to cover up his case of embarrassment he asked, "So who are you to Deunan?"  
  
"Something like a guardian angel.  No more, no less.  Now that she has her family back and has another family watching her six I can step back and worry about my own for the short term."  Nodding to herself about that assessment of the situation she noticed that the others had been reminded of the current situation and now it was time to start working on her trap.  
  
"Being the master hacker, do you have an idea as to who has you targeted?"  Tereus asked, bringing the topic full circle back to the present issue.  
  
"I have ideas, the foot printing in the hacking and viruses that I've been intercepting is reminiscent of a copycat.  So someone had to have been around me long enough to pick up on some of my tricks and tactics.  Only one that I can think of that is still alive is my old partner Cassandra.  Sometimes she'd watch what I'd be doing instead of watching my back.  Frankly I'm surprised I survived this long as often as we've almost been caught with her getting engrossed in my work more than I was.  I'd hear something and have to tell her to watch my six and not my screen.  
  
Thinking back Talina started putting the patterns of behavior together starting to see a pattern.  "The only thing I can't figure out is what her connection would be to Congress to get them to make a dangerous move like this onto Athena's turf.  ES.W.A.T. is clearly her baby and I've had the pleasure of seeing her come down on the unfortunate soul who tried to wrest that from her."  There were answering grins as they had all seen the Prime Minister in a tear the day Congress tried to move ES.W.A.T. out from under her jurisdiction.  She had rather effectively cowed the entire congress, and a good deal of their staff that day.  
  
"Then it looks like we need to lock down that connection first and see where it goes before we can do anything like luring your little bogyman out into the open.  Looks like you'll be here a while Talina."  Deunan said giving her a look that clearly said the militant didn't want to be in the hacker's place.  
  
"That's fine by me.  I have all I need here for what I'm planning on doing.  You guys should be safe from the programming for another few hours.  What I had Briarios use on them is a variant of a master hack program.  This variant locked out ALL programmed codes in the new patch for 16 hours.  Mine, theirs, everyone is locked out of the patch and it will feed back to me which codes are used in that 16 hour period.  Once this mess is over, I'm going to reprogram everyone's patches and take out the bad code, and I'm taking that master hack out of yours since it won't be needed after this since it only ties into the other patches that I've programmed like this."  Yawning she gestured to the spare room.  "Whomever is watching me tonight doesn't have to be up all night.  You know I'm not going to run, get some sleep.  I'm crashing out.  Today undid all the good my 3 day rest leave did me."  
  
With that Deunan decided she'd be over first thing in the morning and Tereus decided to stay while Briarios did some investigating.  In this manner, one would be investigating, one resting and one "on guard" as it were each 8 hour shift.  When morning came, Tereus would leave to investigate, and Briarios would go on rest after reporting to Tereus his findings.  With that rotation, 16 on 8 off, they all hoped to get to the bottom of this quicker and still keep Talina under the radar.


	9. 9

The next three days flew by in a blaze of keyboarding and investigations.  It was agreed on that Briarios would be their contact back to base and the Captain as his com lines had the highest level of encryption thanks to Talina's upgrade.  There wasn't much of a hard evidence trail or paper trail to follow, however a discreet hack job into the computers of the various members of the Security and Technology boards rounded up the information needed to get the authorization to bug several offices within the congressional division.  
  
Talina was still trying to figure out the connection between Cassandra and the Congress, but figured that her reason for doing all of this would be revenge.  The woman had taken quite a hit to her pride and her record for what happened to Talina, and to have the embarrassment compounded by Nike demoting her out of the ES.W.A.T. corps was something the woman wouldn't handle very well.  Especially when she had to take a job with the Olympus police to maintain some of her skills and have even a reasonable hope of getting back into ES.W.A.T.  
  
Talina on the other hand started working out in the mornings, more so than her normal routines in Tai Chi, she added a full hour of Cardio to keep up her fitness since she was getting frustrated.  She had gotten Tereus and Briarios start with hand targets and in using them in various patterns for hand to hand combat in her back yard, they started working on her combat hand to hand routines so that she wouldn't be stuck if she found herself without a partner for a mission.  Her own Tai Chi helped her as all she had to do was speed them up to full combat speed but Tereus and Briarios knew some of the dirtiest tricks in fighting and they taught her all of them.  She would not be helpless should something ever happen to her and she was caught out again.  She would only look helpless, something she used ruthlessly.  
  
When she wasn't training with the guys or sleeping, she was at the computer ignoring the world around her.  She was fighting a battle and Briarios had to admit that this time he wasn't as prepared for this fight as he needed to be in order to be of help.  If she asked for his help he would give it without a second thought.  But their concerns were all turning towards the base.  It had been quiet lately and knowing what this other hacker was capable of was starting to make them all jumpy, especially since she was avoiding Talina's skills for as long as she had.  Talina would get close to her on the net and she'd pick up and leave.  It was almost as if she were staying one step ahead of them via some kind of bug.  It was frustrating for all of them, most of all Talina who wanted nothing more than to go back to work and training.  
  
Finally their breakthrough on the case came when Cassandra called one of the congress members from one of her known numbers.  "Congressman, you need to finish the move tonight they are closing in on me and I've given you all of the information you need to sway the other members of the congress to take Athena's little army out from under her and put Talina on trial for treason."  
  
"I'll have it done.  We of the congress thank you for your loyalty to the ideals of Olympus and as promised you will have your squad back when we wrest control of ES.W.A.T. away from Prime Minister Athena."  The return of the silence indicated the end of the call, but threw everyone into a tizzy of action.  The congress was going to have ES.W.A.T. moved from under the aegis of the Administrative department and they were going to have Talina tried for Treason?!  
  
When word got back to Tereus and Talina who were the only two back at the house Tereus looked disgusted by the developement but Talina could only smile.  "What is it that you have to smile about?  You heard what they were going to do to you right?"  Tereus was nervous and concerned for the woman as he knew that as with most countries, treason was dealt with harshly here.  Execution being the result of a guilty verdict, being watched for the rest of your life if you were decided not guilty.  
  
"I know what information she dug up and fed to the congress to get them to move against me on charges of treason and I'm insured against that in a couple of ways.  One of them being that I was not a citizen of Olympus when I did those things, the other being that when I joined ES.W.A.T. it was because I was offered assylum here in Olympus from my crimes both during and after the war.  The information I got and gave to Nike and the Prime Minister being more valuable than my life.  All of the information that I had stored up over the War about everything I had turned over to them.  Information about every country in the world, and that information along with who I am cemented both my deal with the Administration of Olympus and Olympus's position as the world power to be followed.  
  
"So that's how you came to be a member of ES.W.A.T. despite the fact that you're so over specialized its scarey.  How they got you trained up into the other areas that you needed training it was probably intense."  Every day Tereus learned something new about this woman that gained a little more respect than the day before.  
  
"It was.  But it was worth it in the long run."  Talina smiled warmly.  They had been taking a break when they had gotten the news about her impending impeachment.  "Now I'm getting further training so that I'm less of a liability to my team.  All I need to do now is find a partner and I'll be back in the field, doing what I love and loving what I do.  This isn't a job for me, this is just an extension of the life I lead back in the war.  The day I quit is the day they put me and my keyboard into the ground."  The slightly world weary look had returned to her eyes but her smile was still brilliant as she meant what she said about dying before she stopped hacking.  
  
Standing back up she held her hand out and Tereus took it noting that her stance was better and her strength was better controlled.  Yes, she was ready to go back out into the field now.  As she said, all she needed now was a good partner who would respect her, her skills and watch her six.  
  
Tereus got the message a few minutes later as he was holding targets for Talina again that the sting had gone into full operation.  The only problem that had been found was that one of the congressmen had a chance to activate the codes that activated the control node of the patch Talina had written.  Now the Cyborg troops that had been used in the sting were now holding the non-cyborg units down.  Deunan was one of the troops being held down while Briarios was trying to hack into the broadcast frequency being used to rebroadcast the override he had been made aware of.  
  
Tereus made another unprofessional decision and found that when it came down to the wire, he was always making these decisions because he felt he should.  Cutting her locator band off her ankle he looked at her carefully.  "They're going to need us there.  Let's go."  
  
Running to her room she dressed for combat quickly.  This suit was not her standard issue uniform, but instead was her war time combat suit.  Wired for hacking on the fly she wouldn't need access to any of the Landmates to hack their frequencies, all she'd need was Brarios's willing cooperation.  
  
Walking out and shrugging into a leather duster that came down to her calves she looked at him as she finished putting her side arm in its shoulder holster.  "Ready?"  
  
Looking her over and shaking his head at the non-regulation equipment he decided he'd ignore it and if she got out of this in one piece, then talk to her about it.  "Lets go."  In synch they stepped out of the house and after getting into his car, tore out of there.  They had a new mission and the time for hiding was over.  Now was the time for action.


	10. 10

As they arrived at the Congressional site Tereus and Talina came in on foot over the roofs knowing that it would be the first thing their captain would look for when they came in.  As they made it into range they came back down to ground level and infiltrated the base camp and found the Captain in the command vehicle looking furious.  "I knew you two would be here as soon as I got the signal that Talina's tracking tag had been cut.  I suppose you two are here to help solve the problem?"  
  
Talina stepped forward.  "Sir, you're facing an old fashioned battle of hackers.  She's called me out with this challenge.  I have to accept and defeat her here or we all lose a lot more than just my name on the net."  Talina's confidence didn't waver as she explained the situation and she pulled her virtual monitor visor out.  "If I can get inside the building, I'll get a rare treat, and I'll show that two bit wannabe who the real hacker is around here."  
  
Tereus didn't like the shark eating grin that had just appeared on the woman's face as it always meant trouble.  "Talina, what is it that you have planned?  The Captain's going to have to back this plan if we're to get even anywhere near that building without getting riddled full of bullets."  
  
Nodding Talina slipped her visor on and started the preliminary checks on her equipment as she started explaining, testing the various pressure points of her arms that served for her keyboard when she crossed her arms.  "I'm going in and if I have someone to watch my back, I can get a hold of Briarios and if he's willing I can use his computing power and wireless connectivity to the building to back hack her while he follows the directions he gets from the back hack to find her.  I have the feeling that she's on site now.  She wants this to end like I do.  This is the show down.  The problem for her is I don't think she's got someone to watch her six, where as I will."  
  
Tereus was right.  This was going to be trouble.  The only one he trusted to watch her six while she was doing a complicated back hack like this was Briarios, Deunan or himself.  With Deunan being tied down and Briarios going to be used as a part of her plan that left him as the only open member of the team to watch her six in this crazy scheme.  "I'll watch Talina's six while she does this sir.  I know what her combat capabilities are and I believe that she is fully ready to reenter field ops with a qualified partner."  
  
Lance looked at the two and thought over his options.  Unfortunately he had come to the same conclusion that Tereus had.  "Very well then.  You two need to keep an open com channel to me at all times.  I don't care if you back flush your hack data to the van or what you have to do, but I want to make sure I have the means of making sure this rescue op goes off without getting you two killed."  
  
The two before him snapped to attention.  "Yes sir."  Turning around they ran out of the van weapons ready and made their way to their insertion point and into the building.  So far it had become clear that ES.W.A.T. had gotten holed up in the south wing of the first floor.  That was where the two were getting in and where they were holing up to perform this op.  
  
Tereus popped the window open on the window knowing that Talina had already disabled the security system for the south wing on the first floor to keep their entry form being noticed by the others.  Boosting his partner in she grabbed his hand and in a cybernetic assisted heave pulled him in after her.  "Never thought I'd be pulling people in after me like that."  Talina could see through her visor like a pair of wrap around sunglasses but right now she was more worried about finding a place to belt in and focus in on the data coming in.  "The data is becoming critical.  We need to find a bunker position and get ready for the op.  I'm contacting Briarios now."  
  
Using a text channel to the cyborg she forced open the com channel to her friend.    
  
[Talina: Briarios, txt only.  Need to borrow one of your external system overrides so that I can use u as a hack point for the building.  U'll be a walking hacker with me guiding u.]  
[Briarios: I should fry you for that com force.  Agreed.  No funny business.]  
  
"Briarios has agreed.  Is this room defensible from the information I gave you?"  Talina had given Tereus a run down of the room, its location and its location in relation to the other troops that had been pinned down.  They weren't far away, but they couldn't reveal their position or the whole op would be compromised if Talina had to get up and move.  
  
"Yeah.  Get to work, I've got your back."  A quick smile was passed between the two before Talina's dark eyes were hidden behind the visor again as she went to work, her fingers flicking up and down her arms in what looked to anyone else like nervous gestures.  If Tereus didn't know that her arms had the pressure pads for her keyboard he would have had second thoughts about the stability of his partner for this mission. Instead he saw that she was cool and very composed.  She knew what she was doing and that she would succeed.  She had more motivation than the norm to succeed in this mission.  
  
[Talina: OK, I'm about to change your wireless signal to that of the other cyborg units that have been "converted".  Hope Deunan doesn't kill me later for this.]  
[Briarios: Hope I don't kill you for this later if she doesn't.  Just do it and move it.]  
  
Shoving the text screen to a corner of her "screen" she opened up another screen that held the floor plans of the congressional building.  Using Briarios's new link to the other cyborgs she hacked their memories and got the locations of the congress members that were in their offices under the lock down.  She already knew which ones were a part of the sting and which ones were to be left alone.  Moving Briarios through the halls and the various check points with her hacked information she found her little back hack had been discovered and she smirked.  That one had been to get Cassandra's attention.  
  
[Cassandra: You has been.  You should have stayed out of this.  You would have stayed alive longer that way.  I would have plead leniency for you you know.  A last favor to my old partner.]  
[Talina: Look who's talking you wannabe.  You need to give up.  If you don't I will find you and you will not like what happens to hackers that can't hack the business.]  
  
Seeing that her screen for Briarios was flashing she flicked over and saw the message and replied with the information he needed.  Her hacks were getting progressively more and more complex and they started to eat up some of his system memory he had noticed he wondered what the hell she was doing and had demanded if the drain on his system resources was necessary.  
  
[Talina: I'm doing everything I can to pull from my own resources.  But I can't compile and send these out as fast as u can, so I'm using a little of ur processing pwr to help me with these hacks.  Cassandra is fighting me every step of the way and she doesn't want to be found.  I'm going to find her tonight and we're going to end this once and for all.]  
[Briarios: Well just don't burn me out so I can't fight if I need to will ya?]  
  
Talina moved the window again and recompiled the information she had just gotten sent it back to Briarios so that he would be able to get thought the next check without her standing over him and went back to Cassandra.  
  
[Cassandra: Can't hack the business?  I am the business and u have no business being here any longer.  I am the new generation for our world.]  
[Talina: Don't think so princess.  u learned from looking over my shoulder, and over hearing what I muttered under my breath.  Everything else would have to be trial and error.  Besides, who wrote the program that took advantage of the ES.W.A.T. patch program?  Wasn't u.  U got a lot to learn before you can beat me.  I still have more tricks up my sleeves than you have cards to play with.]  
  
One of her favorite little programs was making headway in tracking down Cassandra.  Surprisingly enough she had called the little bugger "traitor" because it disguised itself as a system file in a hacker's normal stash of files and sent out the back hack signal from there.  The trick was getting it into the target's files in the first place.  That had been accomplished easily when Cassandra started the txt com with her.  Com static was normal and even expected.  Her little file would go as a piece of static, and once it infected its target, you were as good as caught.  
  
[Cassandra: U shouldn't have been a member of ES.W.A.T. in the first place.  Guarding ur weak ass like a prized poodle who was doing tricks.  Granted you tried to pull ur weight, u failed!  Its ur own fault u got shot.  I took a fall that wasn't mine to take.  Now its ur turn.]  
[Talina: Cassi, ur a rl piece of wrk.  Every1 goes into an assignment with a partner to guard their 6.  I was guarding urs evn if it didn't look like it.  u left ur post and in doing so put me, you, and the entire op at risk.  ur bad.]  
  
Noting the flashing again in the corner she pulled up Briarios's window.  
  
[Briarios: last 1.  U get that trace?]  
  
Checking her files she noticed that the congressional building's computer security system and Cassandra were so busy trying to block out her veritable flood of other hacking attempts and back hacks that they hadn't noticed traitor's activities yet.  Now she had the location of her former partner.  
  
[Talina: you bet.  she's in the basement levels hoping that the general noise of the servers down there will hide her signal.  It would have workd.... but she has a traitor in her rank and FILES...]  
[Briarios: hmph.  Smrtass.  broadcast 665 and send everyone down there.]  
[Talina: }:) I have something better planned.....]  
[Briarios: Talina, don't do anything crazy.]  
[Talina: ...]  
[Briarios: TALINA!!]  
  
He could feel her rooting around in the patch file that she had put into him and following her while keeping an eye on the head of the security council he saw her start to group and compile a section of code he had never found before.  Section heading 666.  He knew exactly what it did however when she compiled and executed it.  
  
Every cyborg unit that had gone on the sting was heard to say that night, "Bitch, you fucked with the wrong hacker.  Eat this data load."  After which the internal data lines of the congressional house strained under the tremendous load of random data packets being loaded into the back hack door that Traitor had opened for Talina into Cassandra's cyber cortex, shorting it out from the sheer influx of random, stupid, useless information.  
  
Getting up from her position, she had basically been in a lotus meditation position to reach all the pressure pads on her suit.  It was ingeniously designed for solo ops, but did leave the user open for attack.  This was probably why it had been impossible for any one to describe her physical features during the war.  "I'm going to get her.  This collar is mine.  She was after me, I'm going to drag her ass in now that I've shorted out her cyber cortex."  
  
Tereus looked surprised that Talina had done this, but he had to have been deaf to not have heard all of the cybernetic voices in the building yelling about the data they were about to shove down her cyber link.  
  
Pulling her trench back on Tereus realized that the coat doubled as protection for her suit as well as keeping her from accidentally triggering any of the touch pads.  Grabbing her sidearm again she nodded to Tereus and they moved out of the room making their presence known to the now recovering Deunan and had her put in charge of the other recovering agents.  
  
Moving quickly they ran down to the basement levels and found where Cassandra had been hacking from, her equipment was still there.  Not liking the idea that she wasn't there even though her cyber cortex had been shorted out, Tereus backed off into a darkened corner in the direction of the stairs and waited.  Talina had a vague idea of what he was doing and let herself bait the trap that was now being set.  "Cassandra, come out, it's just you and me.  You're wounded, give up and we'll get you treatment and take you in for questioning.  Lets just end this OK?"  
  
Talina didn't like the idea of anyone being in pain needlessly but Cassandra was bringing this on herself and trying to keep this in the front of her mind was hard now that she had her side dish of holding her place in the hacking world.  "Talina, you'd never understand where I'm from.  Never.  So I'm going to make sure you never have to.  Looks like you can't seem to keep your partners from abandoning you though.  Watching the six of a keyboard jockey too boring for him?"  
  
"Tereus is a better partner than you'll ever be Cassandra, I just wish I could keep him after this mission.  He didn't abandon me while I was dealing with you and helping Briarios.  You annoy me Cassandra.  Come out and lets have an end to this."  Talina was now thoroughly irritated and Tereus found himself hoping that the normally calm woman didn't lose her cool during this critical part of the trap.  
  
"I don't see you denying that he's abandoned you now.  That's just too bad, cause it means that you'll just die alone now."  Dropping from the piping above Talina, Cassandra was a mess.  Nose was bleeding sluggishly parts of her body weren't responding as they should have been indicating where she had cybernetic components.  Still she managed to handle her weapon well enough to bring it to Talina's head level just behind her ear as she had dropped down behind the woman.  
  
"Are you so certain that Tereus has abandoned me?"  Talina smirked as the trap slammed shut on Cassandra knowing that Tereus was moving forward to take the gun away from the woman behind her with the sense she had developed about her friends movements.  
  
"She's right.  I haven't abandoned my partner.  Now you will cease resisting arrest and you will come quietly."  Tereus spoke up his tenor voice startling Cassandra almost as much as his hand closing around her weapon and pulling it away from Talina easily with his trained strength.  She had lost the war and so gave up.  


	11. 11

The world began to slow down again and ES.W.A.T. began to regain its balance of routine missions after the hype of the sting on the congressional house had slowed down.  The training continued and Talina was reinstated as a member of Squad Six.  Occasionally as they were rotated back into the routine of going on missions they would borrow other members of other squads to partner with her to keep the numbers even, but none of the combat numbers ever added up to the way they did when she and Tereus worked together.  
  
Lance was in his office puzzling out this very problem when Deunan came to see him one afternoon during a break in the training day.  "Captain, I think there's a problem in Squad Two."  
  
Hearing that there was yet another problem that was about to be dumped into his lap he turned to give her his full attention, and was surprised to see a slight smile on Deunan's face.  "Well?  What's this problem?"  
  
"It looks like Tereus's combat numbers have dropped some in the last couple of weeks.  Even working with me and Briarios his mind's been on something else.  I think that he's seriously considering asking for a transfer to Squad Six."  To anyone else it was obvious that Tereus had become quite fond of the computer specialist.  Yet like with her and Briarios, it didn't interfere with his work as a member of ES.W.A.T. but had instead, pushed his combat numbers higher when he was partnered with her.  Deunan was ready to push the issue and get the man the transfer so he wouldn't have to ask if it meant that she'd stop having to look at his confusion all day.  
  
"Tereus huh?  You think he'd be a good partner for Talina out in the field?"  While Lance was asking from a purely professional standpoint, he knew that Deunan was just nosy enough to put in from a personal perspective as well.  
  
"Absolutely.  We've all trained with her while the hacking incident was going on and their combat data speaks for itself.  No one else comes even close to their level of efficiency out in the field except Briarios and myself."  Deunan shrugged with a smile.  "And if I may say so sir.  Transferring Tereus over would balance out the teams combat wise, as well as emotionally."  
  
That brought Lance up short.  "Emotionally?"  
  
Deunan chuckled, "He may not look it, but Tereus is going to worry himself into gray hairs about Talina if he's not the one watching her six while she's out on assignments.  He knows she's as good as he is and that she's got the same training.  But that's not going to stop him from worrying about her.  Same with her.  Talina's not as worried about him, but something happened while she was under house arrest, and I think they've come to an understanding of sorts about their relationship within the boundaries of work and play."  Deunan had been observing the two and had seen the little gestures between the two.    
  
Tereus was not a very physical person, taking after Briarios in that fact unless it was someone he cared about deeply.  There were small gestures of affection between the two, the light touch on the arm when they'd part ways, a glance when no one else should have been looking, and the occasional flower that had been left on Talina's desk.  Talina had been getting questions about a secret admirer but only gave a secretive smile when she was asked, stating that there was no secret admirer to ask about.  Yes, Deunan was certain that an understanding had been reached between the two and Tereus had finally found his own girl to protect.  
  
Lance had to agree that on paper Talina and Tereus were two of a kind working out on the field.  They had proven that they could effectively work with others, but the numbers just supported that they worked best with each other.  It was almost as if they had an extra set of senses when it came to the other person.  Now he was starting to get an understanding of why.  If they were indeed another Deunan and Briarios pairing, then it would be to the benefit of ES.W.A.T. that he paired them up.  The only thing he'd have to do is get this past Nike.  
  
Six months later...  
  
"Talina hurry up we got company!"  Tereus yelled from just outside the door to the mainframe room where Talina was hacking the stand alone network leaving her squad free to take out their targets.  Tereus was watching her back and it looked like they had been discovered by the wandering security drones who were now calling in backup.  
  
Talina grinned and pulled herself out of the network, but not before leaving a little surprise.  Grabbing her weapon she called out over the tacnet.  "OK boys and girls, lets blow this popsicle stand!"  Grinning at her partner who could only shake his head in amusement at her vivacious personality he followed her down the hall, mowing down the security drones and whatever else happened to get in their way to make it back to the drop point.  Sure, life hadn't been boring in the least with Deunan and Briarios, but Talina brought a whole new definition to the word interesting.  It was different, but now, he wouldn't have it any other way.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was enjoyable for you folks. It was an idea that had invaded my mind and the plunnies wouldn't let it go. So I did a little research, fleshed it out and here it is. I originally posted this to ff.net but I am slowly shifting all my works over to AO3 as I am somewhat less than impressed with the draconic mods there.


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